On Monday 4th July we came back to Edinburgh from the peaceful and inspiring blockade of Faslane nuclear submarine base. On the way home when we got to Princes Street we saw a small crowd of people and a large number of riot police. We walked down Hanover Street unchallenged, as did dozens of other bystanders, curious about the assembled riot police who blocked off Princes Street on either side of the assembled group. We interviewed and filmed young protestors who were playing the Darth Vader tune on a kazoo and waving peace flags in front of a line of riot police. The atmosphere was relaxed. Some people were snoozing in the afternoon sun. Tourists were taking snapshots. Most of the people in the area were observers like ourselves.
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All of a sudden more riot police arrived and proceeded to block Hanover Street. At this point the police stormed Princes Street gardens. No-one was being allowed out anymore. We climbed onto a phone box on the corner of the gardens and Princes Street and started to film from this incredible vantage point. We could see riot police clashing with journalists who were in the gardens, including an ITN reporter who was hit with a shield. The reporters were backed into some railings and had to clamber over to escape. On our side of the railings some shoppers and 'riot-tourists' who got caught up in events were less fortunate. Riot police punched them and hit them with their shields. Minutes later one protestor dancing in front of the police was dragged through the line and beaten heavily by at least three officers, who held him down and punched him in the face and head as the clip shows.
From our vantage point we saw three main police groups working together for the first time in a riot situation after months of training: the Metropolitan and other English branches, Lothian and Borders police and specialist riot police. All police were identifiable from above as the top of their helmets were numbered, but these numbers could not be seen by the people coralled in.
We believe that the disturbance which we witnessed on Princes Street was instigated by the police and proved to be a 'valuable training exercise' for Police Forces in preparation for possible civil unrest at Gleneagles or future events. The people who were corralled into the square between the gardens, the museum and the boarded-up shop-fronts were allowed into the area and then not allowed to leave. People who had been in Princes Street Gardens were also hearded down towards the blocked off area then sealed in creating greater numbers. They weren't 'black bloc anachists', but a mixture of tourists, shoppers, peaceful protesters and school children. People became frightened and panicked as they became hemmed in and intimidated by the encroaching riot police. It was only once the police had used heavy handed tactics to contain the public that tensions developed, which lead to the clashes reported on most mainstream media as lead by 'violent protestors'.
Having created the situation the police tried out a number of tactics in quick succession. The 'top dogs' of the Metropolitan Police directed operations, the specialist riot police carried out the brutality behind police lines. Access points and viewpoints were quickly shut down and all non-involved people were moved several hundred yards away from the events. Local Lothian and Borders police were directed by the Met officers to take turns at the front line, seemingly practicing changeovers and giving as many local police front-line experience as possible. On at least two occasions police practiced 'snatching' where small squads went into the crowd to arrest one targeted person. A small group of young opportunistic individuals played into police tactics giving them the cover to create the incidents described.
Choreographed mounted police operations were also practiced as were baton charges later on in St. Andrew's Square. The final baton charge came to an end around 9.00 pm, local 'neds' comically left standing with bricks and stones in their hands as police retreated, as if coming off their shift. The riot they had created immediately came to an end after their departure.
KEEP FOCUSSED ON THE ISSUES
The press and the police hyped up the Monday event because they were interested in practising their newly honed skills.
All of these events seem wonderfully choreographed in order to take the attention away from what is wrong with the G8. Let's keep the protests in Gleneagles peaceful. Let's stop police provocation from destroying the powerful messages of our diverse 'movement of movements'. Another world is possible.
http://video.indymedia.org/en/2005/07/121.shtml All of a sudden more riot police arrived and proceeded to block Hanover Street. At this point the police stormed Princes Street gardens. No-one was being allowed out anymore. We climbed onto a phone box on the corner of the gardens and Princes Street and started to film from this incredible vantage point. We could see riot police clashing with journalists who were in the gardens, including an ITN reporter who was hit with a shield. The reporters were backed into some railings and had to clamber over to escape. On our side of the railings some shoppers and 'riot-tourists' who got caught up in events were less fortunate. Riot police punched them and hit them with their shields. Minutes later one protestor dancing in front of the police was dragged through the line and beaten heavily by at least three officers, who held him down and punched him in the face and head as the clip shows.
From our vantage point we saw three main police groups working together for the first time in a riot situation after months of training: the Metropolitan and other English branches, Lothian and Borders police and specialist riot police. All police were identifiable from above as the top of their helmets were numbered, but these numbers could not be seen by the people coralled in.
We believe that the disturbance which we witnessed on Princes Street was instigated by the police and proved to be a 'valuable training exercise' for Police Forces in preparation for possible civil unrest at Gleneagles or future events. The people who were corralled into the square between the gardens, the museum and the boarded-up shop-fronts were allowed into the area and then not allowed to leave. People who had been in Princes Street Gardens were also hearded down towards the blocked off area then sealed in creating greater numbers. They weren't 'black bloc anachists', but a mixture of tourists, shoppers, peaceful protesters and school children. People became frightened and panicked as they became hemmed in and intimidated by the encroaching riot police. It was only once the police had used heavy handed tactics to contain the public that tensions developed, which lead to the clashes reported on most mainstream media as lead by 'violent protestors'.
Having created the situation the police tried out a number of tactics in quick succession. The 'top dogs' of the Metropolitan Police directed operations, the specialist riot police carried out the brutality behind police lines. Access points and viewpoints were quickly shut down and all non-involved people were moved several hundred yards away from the events. Local Lothian and Borders police were directed by the Met officers to take turns at the front line, seemingly practicing changeovers and giving as many local police front-line experience as possible. On at least two occasions police practiced 'snatching' where small squads went into the crowd to arrest one targeted person. A small group of young opportunistic individuals played into police tactics giving them the cover to create the incidents described.
Choreographed mounted police operations were also practiced as were baton charges later on in St. Andrew's Square. The final baton charge came to an end around 9.00 pm, local 'neds' comically left standing with bricks and stones in their hands as police retreated, as if coming off their shift. The riot they had created immediately came to an end after their departure.
KEEP FOCUSSED ON THE ISSUES
The press and the police hyped up the Monday event because they were interested in practising their newly honed skills.
All of these events seem wonderfully choreographed in order to take the attention away from what is wrong with the G8. Let's keep the protests in Gleneagles peaceful. Let's stop police provocation from destroying the powerful messages of our diverse 'movement of movements'. Another world is possible.
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